INFLUENCER MARKETING

A Complete Guide on Dark Posting in 2025

Ever scrolled through your feed and come across a post that feels like a personal recommendation—perfectly tailored to you?

It blends right in, almost like organic content. But then, you spot the small 'Sponsored' tag.

That’s no coincidence.

It’s a dark ad, a powerful strategy brands use to target you without cluttering their public profile.

While dark posts come with plenty of advantages, like higher engagement rates, improved return on investment (ROI), and precise targeting, their success depends on how well they’re executed.

That’s why we’ve created this guide to dark posting so you can have actionable strategies to maximize their effectiveness.

We’ll cover:

• A brief overview of dark posts, their types, and benefits
• How dark posting works, plus tips for optimization
• Downsides and future trends in dark posting
• The impact of social media algorithms on dark posts
• Real-life examples of dark posts

P.S.: Looking for influencers to take your dark posting campaigns to the next level? inBeat.co can assist. With its powerful influencer search engine and advanced filters like language, location, and age, you can easily discover creators who align with your brand values. Book a free demo now!

TL;DR:

• Dark posting involves creating ads that don’t appear on a brand’s public profile but are shown to specific audience segments for precise targeting.
• Platforms & placements include Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), with ads appearing in feeds, stories, search results, and inboxes.
• Dark posts vs. whitelisting: Dark posts are unpublished ads, while whitelisting runs ads through influencer accounts to leverage their credibility.
• Types of dark posts include photo ads, video ads, carousels, story ads, collection ads, lead generation ads, offer ads, and dynamic retargeting ads.
• Benefits of dark posting: Higher ROAS, cost-effective targeting, personalized content delivery, feed decluttering, and enhanced ad performance with sequential targeting.
• Optimization strategies: Define clear objectives, use pre-designed templates, conduct A/B testing, reuse post IDs, incorporate retargeting, and set realistic budgets.
• Challenges: Limited transparency, ad fatigue, and maintaining brand consistency across multiple campaigns.
• Algorithm impact: Social media platforms prioritize engagement-driven content, requiring advertisers to adapt with creative and engaging ads.
• Future trends: AI-driven personalization, first-party data targeting, AR-enabled dark posts, interactive ad formats, and privacy-first advertising.
• Case studies: inBeat Agency successfully executed dark posting campaigns for Hurom, using influencer-led content to drive conversions and increase brand trust.
• Final takeaway: Dark posting is a powerful tool for targeted advertising, offering high personalization and performance when optimized effectively. Tools like inBeat.co’s ad mockup generator can streamline testing and improve results.

What Is a Dark Post?

Dark posting is an advertising method where brands create ads that are not visible on their public social media profiles but are shown to specific audience segments. This helps them tailor content to targeted users without cluttering the main profile.

Dark ads can direct people to different destinations depending on the goal of the campaign, such as:

• Creator’s blog: A dark ad can promote an influencer's product review while encouraging users to click through and read the full article on their blog.
• Brand’s main website: Alternatively, you can direct dark ads straight to your website, such as a product, collection, or landing page.

Here’s an example from one of our campaigns – we’ll share more about it later below:

Where Dark Ads Appear by Platform

Facebook & Instagram

• News Feed (both desktop & mobile)
• Stories
• Reels
• Messenger inbox
• Right-hand column (desktop only)
• Audience Network (apps & websites partnered with Meta)

Google Ads

• Search results (top or bottom of Google SERP)
• Display Network (websites, YouTube, Gmail, and apps using Google Ads)
• YouTube (before/during videos or as suggested content)

LinkedIn

• Sponsored content in users’ feeds
• InMail (ads sent as private messages)
• Right sidebar ads

TikTok

• In-feed video ads
• Story ads
• Search ads (shown when users search for related keywords)

X (formerly Twitter)

• Promoted tweets in users’ timelines
• In search results
• Under trending topics

Dark Posting vs. Whitelisting

Dark posting and whitelisting are two paid advertising strategies with distinct approaches. Dark posts are unpublished social media ads that don’t appear on a brand’s profile but are targeted to specific audiences. They allow brands to test different creatives without cluttering their feeds.

Influencer whitelisting, on the other hand, involves running ads through an influencer’s or partner’s account, leveraging their credibility and audience trust. While dark posts offer precise targeting and A/B testing flexibility, whitelisting rides on the creator’s authenticity and engagement.

Are Dark Posts Paid?

Yes, dark posts are paid advertisements. Since they operate within the same ad ecosystem as regular paid ads, their pricing follows models like cost per click (CPC), cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM), or cost per action (CPA).

• On Facebook and Instagram, CPC typically ranges from $0.50 to $3.50, with CPM falling between $6 and $12. CPA varies widely, often between $5 and $30, depending on the industry and audience targeting.
• Google Ads, particularly in search, tend to have a higher CPC, anywhere from $1 to $10 or more for competitive keywords, while display ads can have a CPM between $2 and $20. CPA for Google Ads can reach $70 or higher, especially in industries like finance or law.
• LinkedIn ads tend to be the most expensive due to their focus on B2B audiences. CPC often starts at $5 and can exceed $12, while CPM ranges from $20 to $80. CPA is significantly higher, often landing between $50 and $200, especially for high-value leads.
• TikTok, on the other hand, has a lower cost structure, with CPC starting as low as $0.10 and rarely exceeding $1, while CPM typically falls between $5 and $10. Twitter ads are slightly more expensive, with CPC around $0.50 to $2 and CPM between $6 and $12.

Several factors influence the final cost. The more specific the targeting—such as focusing on high-income individuals or niche professional groups—the higher the price. Ad placements also matter.

A dark ad appearing in a Facebook user’s main feed will cost more than one in the right-hand column. Competition within the industry plays a role, too, with highly competitive sectors like finance, law, or software seeing much higher CPCs than consumer-friendly industries like entertainment or lifestyle.

Types of Dark Posts

Some of the most popular formats that top brands use for dark posting include:

1. Photo Ads

Photo ads are single-image dark posts designed to catch attention quickly. These ads feature visually compelling social media content paired with concise ad copy and a strong action button. They are ideal for showcasing a specific product, promotion, or service in a simple yet engaging way.

2. Video Ads

Video ads are a dynamic way to tell stories, highlight product features, or display customer testimonials. These dark post ads are particularly effective at improving click-through rates and conversions due to their engaging nature. In fact, a survey reveals that video ads influenced the purchasing decisions of 82% of customers. Dark posts can be even more compelling because they’re not branded content.

3. Carousels

Carousel ads allow you to include multiple images or videos in a single ad unit. Each carousel of images can link to a unique destination, which makes it ideal for highlighting product collections. This format is widely used in dark posting strategies to boost user interaction and drive traffic to various landing pages.

4. Story Ads

Story ads are full-screen ads that appear in the Stories section on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. These social media ads are immersive, time-sensitive, and paired with a swipe-up action button to encourage immediate interaction.

5. Messenger Ads

Messenger ads show within Facebook Messenger and allow you to start direct conversations with your audience. With these unpublished posts, you can deliver personalized offers or handle customer service interactions to create an intimate and targeted communication experience.

6. Collection Ads

Collection ads combine a featured piece of content, such as a photo or video, with smaller product images displayed beneath it. This format is effective in advertising efforts for e-commerce, as it simplifies product discovery for social media users.

7. Lead Generation Ads

With lead generation ads, you can collect user information directly within the ad. Pre-filled forms are essential here as they make it easier for users to sign up for newsletters, offers, or consultations.

8. Offer Ads

Offer ads are a type of dark post ad designed to promote discounts, special deals, or limited-time offers. They work exceptionally well for creating urgency and encouraging customers to take instant action.

9. Dynamic Ads

Dynamic ads automatically target users based on their past actions, like visiting a website or abandoning a shopping cart. This format is critical in retargeting efforts, as it personalizes ads with products that users have already shown interest in to increase the chances of conversions.

How Does Dark Posting on Social Media Work?

There are two primary ways to execute dark posting:

From the Brand Page

Dark posting from a brand page involves creating ads from your brand’s account but choosing to not get them displayed on your brand’s public timeline. You’ll choose to show them directly in the social media newsfeed of targeted individuals.

For Influencer Whitelisting Campaign

In influencer whitelisting, you work with influencers to run ads directly from their profile. This process gives you control over the ad targeting and advertising permissions while benefiting from the creator’s authentic voice.

In a dark posting campaign, brands use influencer content but customize the message, mix in other influencer content, or tweak creatives for different audience segments. Unlike whitelisting, dark posts don’t appear on the influencer’s profile—they run as highly targeted ads, blending seamlessly into users' feeds without public visibility.

Pro tip: Looking for the best creators to partner with? Check out the best influencer discovery platforms that can help you get started.

Benefits of Dark Posting

The key benefits offered by dark posting include:

1. More ROAS & Cost-Effective

Dark posts help you achieve a higher return on ad spend (ROAS). Using tools like Ads Manager, you can deliver them to specific audience segments based on demographics, behaviors, or past interactions. This precision ensures more qualified leads see your ads. That translates into increased engagement rates and stronger campaign performance.

2. Allows Content Repurposing

Dark posting lets you repurpose existing social media content for targeted campaigns. High-performing ads can be adjusted for new audience groups to save time and maximize the value of previously created material.

For instance, our team at inBeat Agency repurposed high-performing content from previous campaigns and adapted it for dark posting. This helped them achieve both prospecting and conversion goals for their client without needing to create entirely new content.

3. Higher Personalization

With dark posts, it is easier to deliver personalized content that speaks directly to individual audience segments. Personalization is extremely important; in fact, nearly 9 out of 10 marketing leaders believe personalization will be critical to their business success in the coming 3 years.

4. Prevents Feed From Looking Spammy

Dark posts help preserve the integrity of your brand’s public feed by keeping ads separate from organic posts. This approach keeps your profile focused on consistent messaging and visual appeal while targeted campaigns run discreetly in the background.

5. Enhanced Ad Performance Through Sequential Targeting

Sequential ad strategies are a key advantage of dark posting as they allow users to see a series of ads in a specific order. This structured approach guides them through the funnel, from awareness to conversion, which makes campaigns more effective.

How to Optimize Dark Posts For Better Results

Our experts at inBeat have shared some proven strategies to help you create effective dark post ads. Let’s have a look at them:

1. Define Clear Objectives

Before creating a dark post, establish specific goals. Are you aiming to increase engagement rates, generate leads, or drive conversions?  It is important to align your dark posts with broader marketing strategies and achieve optimized results. For example, if the objective is lead generation, we suggest focusing on promotional posts with a compelling action button.

2. Use Pre-Designed Templates

Templates on platforms like Ads Manager save time, ensure consistency in social media content, and are highly customizable. This makes them a valuable resource for effective dark post campaigns. Whether you’re showcasing a product line or telling a story, they ensure your content hits the mark and keeps users engaged.

3. Do A/B Testing of Creatives

Testing different content variations is key to understanding what truly resonates with your audience. We always run two versions of a dark post ad, such as one showcasing influencer-generated content and another featuring sleek branded visuals. This helps us uncover what drives the most engagement and clicks by comparing the performance of both.

Pro tip: You can use platforms like inBeat.co, which offer ad mockup generators tailored for various social media platforms for effective A/B testing.

4. Re-Use Post IDs

Reusing post IDs is a strategy used in social media advertising, particularly on Facebook and Instagram, to carry over engagement (likes, comments, shares) from one ad to another. This is often used in dark posting but isn’t exclusive to it.

How it works in dark posting: In a dark ad campaign, you create an unpublished ad (a post that doesn’t appear on your profile). If an ad performs well and accumulates significant engagement, you can reuse the same post ID for future ad sets or different audiences. This allows you to retain the social proof—making the new ads appear more credible, engaging, and trustworthy from the start.

Here’s what’s important to note:

• The original post ID must come from an ad, not an organic post.
• The ad’s format, media, and text must remain unchanged; only the audience and targeting can be modified.
• This strategy is commonly used in retargeting and lookalike campaigns to maximize performance.

Another key point is that post ID reuse doesn’t create a “new” ad with fresh content—it keeps the same ad but serves it to new audiences while preserving existing engagement.

5. Focus on Strong Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

Your CTA plays a vital role in encouraging users to take the next step. Whether it’s “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Sign Up,” your action button should be clear, relevant, and aligned with the overall objectives of your social media advertising.

To make your CTA even more effective, pair it with compelling ad copy and eye-catching visuals, as demonstrated in the example below.

You can easily test multiple variations with this free ad mockup generator:

6. Duplicate High-Performing Ads

When a dark post ad performs well, leverage its success to reach a wider range of audiences by duplicating it. You can take an ad with strong engagement rates and make adjustments to its targeting parameters. This strategy is highly suggested by our inBeat experts as it allows tapping into new users who share similar characteristics with your existing audience.

7. Use Retargeting For Higher Conversions

Retargeting re-engages users who interacted with your dark posts but didn’t convert. For example, if a user clicks on a photo ad but doesn’t purchase, a follow-up video ad with a limited-time offer can help drive conversions. The best part is that it has an average cost-per-click of 8 times lower than targeting new audiences.

8. Align Content with Audience Interests

To make your social media ads truly connect, they need to reflect what your audience cares about. Start by analyzing user data to understand their preferences. What kind of content grabs their attention? For example, if your audience interacts with influencer content, collaborate with creators to incorporate influencer posts into your dark post campaign.

9. Incorporate Seasonal or Trending Themes

Take advantage of moments such as the holiday season, back-to-school time, or viral social media trends by tailoring your dark post ads. For instance, you can use carousel ads to showcase gift ideas or story ads with time-sensitive discounts, paired with action buttons like “Get the Deal” to drive quick engagement.

10. Set Realistic Budgets and Bidding Strategies

Start by determining a budget that aligns with your campaign goals and the size of your target audience. If you're aiming to run social media ads for a niche audience, we recommend keeping a small budget, whereas a broader campaign targeting lookalike audiences will require more.

Pro tip: Platforms such as Meta Ads offer automated bidding options that adjust your bids to maximize results. If you prefer more control, test manual bids to find the sweet spot that balances cost and performance.

11. Monitor Relevant Metrics

To get the most out of your dark posting strategy, focus on metrics that align with your campaign objectives. If your goal is to build brand awareness, prioritize engagement rates to measure attention. Similarly, for performance-driven campaigns, you should track conversions to assess sales impact.

Pro tip: You can leverage free tools such as inBeat.co's calculators, which are designed to help track and evaluate key metrics such as CPA, CPM, ROAS, and bounce rates.

Downsides of Dark Posting

Some common drawbacks of dark posting include:

1. Limited Transparency

Since dark posts are hidden from public profiles, social media users may question their authenticity or intent. For political advertisers or highly targeted campaigns, this lack of visibility can sometimes diminish audience trust. This makes it essential for you to be upfront about your sponsorships in other ways, like:

• Using disclaimers such as "Paid Partnership" on influencer posts
• Adding sponsorship details to landing pages linked in dark posts

2. Potential For Ad Fatigue

Overexposing audiences to dark posts can lead to ad fatigue. This reduces engagement rates and makes it harder to sustain ROI. The key is to prioritize content variations and limit the frequency of ads to keep users engaged without making them feel overwhelmed by repetitive promotional content.

3. Difficulty in Maintaining Brand Consistency

When managing multiple dark post campaigns, especially those involving influencer whitelisting or influencer-generated content, keeping a consistent brand identity can be complex.

Influencers bring their unique style, which may not always align with the brand’s tone. To address this, providing clear guidelines while collaborating with content creators is critical for maintaining a cohesive brand presence across campaigns.

How Changes in Social Media Algorithms Affect Dark Posts

Shifts in social media algorithms have reshaped the effectiveness of dark posts, which limits their organic reach and increases reliance on paid promotion. Platforms now prioritize engagement-driven content. This makes it harder for hidden ads to gain traction without interaction.

Changes in targeting rules and transparency measures also affect audience segmentation, which reduces the precision of ad placements.

As algorithms evolve, advertisers must focus on creative and engaging content rather than purely relying on dark posts for conversions. Adaptation through A/B testing and optimized ad strategies is key to maintaining visibility in this evolving space.

P.S.: If managing the entire process feels overwhelming, expert agencies can handle it seamlessly. From finding the right creators to delivering data-driven results, they take the guesswork out of dark posting so you can focus on growth.

Future Trends in Dark Posting

A few key trends expected to define the future of dark posting include:

1. Increased Use of AI for Ad Personalization

AI can create hyper-personalized dark posts designed to resonate deeply with specific audience segments by analyzing audience behavior and preferences.

A Medium article quotes:

Machine learning, a subset of AI, plays a pivotal role in understanding consumer psychology. It can analyze customer data to make predictions, such as what products a customer might be interested in or when they are most likely to make a purchase. By doing so, it not only offers a more personalized experience but also increases the chances of conversions. - Emily Winslet (How AI Revolutionizes Personalization: A Deep Dive)

2. Enhanced Targeting with First-Party Data

As privacy regulations limit the use of third-party cookies, first-party data is becoming the backbone of targeted advertising efforts. Leveraging customer insights from the following sources allows for crafting dark post campaigns that are more relevant and aligned with audience expectations:

• Website interactions
• Email sign-ups
• Previous purchases

In fact, 92% of marketers agree that first-party data is crucial for driving growth, as it helps understand the needs of customers.

3. Greater Integration of Augmented Reality (AR) Ads

AR is making its way into dark posts by offering immersive experiences for social media users. For instance, brands in the beauty or fashion industries can use AR-enabled story ads to let users try on products virtually, which can enhance customer satisfaction and drive conversions.

4. Rising Popularity of Interactive Dark Posts

Interactive formats, such as polls, quizzes, and swipeable story ads, encourage increased engagement by consumers while also providing insights into their preferences and behaviors. This data can be used to tailor future campaigns to meet specific audience requirements.

5. Focus on Privacy-First Advertising

Privacy-first advertising directly impacts dark posting by ensuring these highly targeted ads comply with evolving data privacy regulations. Tools like Facebook’s Privacy Checkup and Google’s Ad Transparency empower users to understand why they’re seeing specific ads and give them greater control over their data.

Real-Life Examples of Dark Posting

Below are some examples of dark posting campaigns executed by inBeat, our sister’s agency. The following campaigns by inBeat Agency for Hurom showcase the effective use of dark posts:

1. Chef Anna Machado Campaign

inBeat Agency executed a highly effective dark posting campaign in collaboration with Chef Anna Machado. She shared authentic reviews of Hurom products on her blog by highlighting their key benefits and pairing them with seasonal discounts to engage her audience.

To maximize the impact, we created targeted dark ads that directed users to Chef Anna’s blog. This approach boosted visibility and also encouraged conversions for Hurom by combining trust-building content with precise targeting.

2. The Metabolic Reboot Method Campaign

Another dark posting campaign involved a collaboration with The Metabolic Reboot Method. Instead of directing users to a blog, these dark posts pushed traffic directly to Hurom’s collection page. This strategy focused on immediate conversions by showcasing products paired with discounted offers.

3. Growing Your Greens Campaign

inBeat also implemented a whitelisting campaign in partnership with the influencer Growing  Your Greens for Hurom.  Ads were run directly from the influencer's profile and had links to drive traffic to Hurom’s website. It helped generate high volumes of sales by reaching engaged audiences who trusted the influencer’s recommendations.

Optimize Your Dark Posts with inBeat.co’s A/B Testing Tool – The Ad Mockup Generator

Dark posting is a powerful tool if you are looking to connect with your target audience in a meaningful way. It allows you to create highly tailored campaigns and deliver posts directly into users’ feeds while keeping the public profile uncluttered.

Key Takeaways

• Dark posts allow advertisers to align their campaigns with specific goals seamlessly.
• Popular types of dark post ads include photos, videos, carousels, stories, collections, etc.
• To maximize dark post performance, define clear objectives, use pre-designed templates, test creatives with A/B testing, implement retargeting, reuse post IDs, align content with audience interests, and more.
• Dark posting is evolving with AI-driven personalization, first-party data targeting, AR integration, and privacy-first advertising.

If you’re looking to enhance your dark posting campaigns, inBeat.co’s free toolkit can help you on your journey.  From ad mockup generators for effortless A/B testing to tracking key metrics, it’s packed with everything you need to optimize your strategy and achieve real results. Book a free demo now!